Hello all,
I'm excited that my blog has been accepted into the Wellsphere blogging network, which will post my blogs, which will then reach thousands of other people. My cochlear implant has been a blessing to me and I hope to be able to reach out to as many people as possible to help in any way I can for those thinking about or have already recieved a CI.
My next blog, as I review some of the events that led to getting the cochlear implant, is about the anxiety I felt.
One morning a couple of weeks after the intitial diagnosis, I felt heart palpitations and had our athletic trainer take my blood pressure. It was normal, but the palpitations, and, in the morning before leaving the house - the nausea, continued, so I went to my doctor. He prescribed some anxiety medication - Xanax, at .5mg. This had an immediate effect and it helped me get through the day. I soon found myself planning my day around them though, i.e. how many hours to next dose and what I had to do in the meantime. By the time I had asked my doctor for a third refill bottle, I had done research on xanax and became concerned about it's side effects and especially with it's withdrawal symptoms for those who stop taking it. My doctor said not to worry and upped my prescription to 1.omg! I cut the pills in half and began plotting how and when I was going to stop taking them altogether. I decided I was going to slowly wean myself off by spreading the doses out. Within a few days I had gone 24 hours without taking a dose, then 48, and I started to feel really good that the withdrawal was going so well without any of the typical symptoms. I think back now and wonder if what the doctor gave me with that last refill was a placebo. I don't really want to know because I am happy I no longer am dependant on it. I had been doing a lot of praying during this time, so I prefer to think it was divine intervention anyway.
It would be easy to look back now and wonder what I got myself all worked up about, but I don't want to minimize the very real feelings I had. I was anxious and scared, but I am glad I had a strong support system with my family, friends, and my awesome God, and did not need to depend, eventually, on any meds to help. These prescription meds I am sure are a very good source of help to others who need them, but I have always been wary of anything that could cause any kind of dependance - meds, drugs, tobacco, etc.
Later,